[openib-general] [PATCH 0/10] [RFC] Support for SilverStorm Virtual Ethernet I/O controller (VEx)

[Fabian Tillier]

Hi Yaron,

On 10/3/06, Yaron Haviv <yaronh at voltaire.com> wrote:
>
> I'm trying to figure out why this protocol makes sense
> As far as I understand, IPoIB can provide a Virtual NIC functionality
> just as well (maybe even better), with two restrictions:
> 1. Lack of support for Jumbo Frames
> 2. Doesn't support protocols other than IP (e.g. IPX, ..)

Whether to use a router or virtual NIC approach for connectivity to
Ethernet subnets is a design decision.  We could argue until we are
blue in the face about which architecture is "better", but that's
really not relevant.

> I believe we should first see if such a driver is needed and if IPoIB
> UD/RC cannot be leveraged for that, maybe the Ethernet emulation can
> just be an extension to IPoIB RC, hitting 3 birds in one stone (same
> infrastructure, jumbo frames for IPoIB, and Ethernet emulation for all
> nodes not just Gateways)

You're joking right?  Are you really arguing that SilverStorm should
not develop a driver to support its existing devices?  This really
isn't complicated:

1). SilverStorm has a virtual NIC hardware device.
2). SilverStorm is committed to support OpenFabrics.

The above two statements lead to the following conclusion: SilverStorm
needs a driver for its devices that works with the OpenFabrics stack.
This is totally orthogonal to and independent of working on IPoIB RC
or any IETF efforts to define something new.

- Fab